Archive for Sunday, February 17, 2008
De La Hoya closing in on local fight
Boxer is close to inking a deal to take on Steve Forbes at 27,000-seat soccer stadium on May 3 in a bout he calls a “fight for the fans.”
LAS VEGAS – Oscar De La Hoya is in the final stages of negotiations for a May 3 bout at the Home Depot Center in Carson, a so-called “fight for the fans” that will be televised on regular HBO and fought against former “Contender” runner-up Steve Forbes, sources said Saturday.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, said Saturday morning that Forbes’ pronouncements in an ESPN.com report that the fight has been finalized are premature.
“Ask him if he has a signed contract. He doesn’t,” Schaefer said.
Still, the promoter acknowledged East Los Angeles’ six-time world champion and 1992 Olympic gold medalist De La Hoya, 34, will fight for “the final time in Los Angeles,” at the Home Depot Center’s 27,000-seat soccer stadium.
Home Depot Center boxing matches, such as the Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight coming March 1, are typically fought in an adjoining tennis venue.
De La Hoya had previously expressed interest in fighting at Dodger Stadium, but Golden Boy Promotions’ business conversations with AEG officials on other deals led to the fight’s placement at Home Depot.
An HBO official added, “It’d be amazing if any element of the agreement fell apart at this point.” De La Hoya has routinely fought in pay-per-view bouts, but this will be an exception, as he prepares for a September rematch against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In Forbes, De La Hoya (38-5, 30 knockouts) will be fighting a 30-year respected journeyman who held the International Boxing Federation super-featherweight title from 2000 to 2002 and was runner-up to Grady Brewer by split decision in the 2006 reality TV series, “The Contender.”
Forbes (33-5, 9 KOs) was impressive in his last fight, gaining a split-decision triumph over former young star Francisco Bojado in an October Golden Boy Promotions card.
In March 2007, Forbes suffered a head-scratching unanimous decision loss to Golden Boy fighter Demetrius Hopkins in Las Vegas. Forbes won on most boxing writer’s scorecards, but Hopkins, the nephew of former middleweight champion and Golden Boy employee Bernard Hopkins, won by lopsided judges’ scores.
Save/Share:
- Text of Fred Thompson's speech
- Bill Melendez, 'Peanuts' animator -- and voice of Snoopy -- dies at 91
- Palin: wrong woman, wrong message
- Sprinkles is frosted over cupcake newcomer Sprinkled Pink
- Palin's secession flirtation
- With homeowner in doghouse, bobcats move in
- The imperfect hero
- Russian nationalist advocates Eurasian alliance against the U.S.
- Care providers in crisis as budget impasse drags on
- Only 48% of California high schools meet federal standards, even with easier measure
- Barack Obama sits down with Bill O'Reilly
- Novak Djokovic draws boos after beating Andy Roddick at U.S. Open
- Sarah Palin's speech draws an audience of more than 37 million
- Holy Limbaugh!
- Before Sarah Palin, the GOP had Dan Quayle
- Sarah Palin touts her executive experience
- Will a pair of aces fold?
- McCain campaign strategy takes on a new tone
- LAX tightens security measures after alleged smuggling
- For L.A. man, 93, life is a walk in the park
